IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v406y2026ics0306261925020525.html

TOMATOES: Topology and material optimization for latent heat thermal energy storage devices

Author

Listed:
  • Padhy, Rahul Kumar
  • Suresh, Krishnan
  • Chandrasekhar, Aaditya

Abstract

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems are compelling candidates for energy storage, primarily owing to their high storage density. Improving their performance is crucial for developing the next-generation efficient and cost effective devices. Topology optimization (TO) has emerged as a powerful computational tool to design LHTES systems by optimally distributing a high-conductivity material (HCM) and a phase change material (PCM). However, conventional TO typically limits itself to optimizing the geometry for fixed, pre-selected materials. This approach does not leverage the large and expanding databases of novel materials. Consequently, the co-design of material and geometry for LHTES remains a challenge and is largely unexplored.

Suggested Citation

  • Padhy, Rahul Kumar & Suresh, Krishnan & Chandrasekhar, Aaditya, 2026. "TOMATOES: Topology and material optimization for latent heat thermal energy storage devices," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 406(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:406:y:2026:i:c:s0306261925020525
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.127322
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261925020525
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.127322?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rehman, Shafiqur & Al-Hadhrami, Luai M. & Alam, Md. Mahbub, 2015. "Pumped hydro energy storage system: A technological review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 586-598.
    2. Huang, Yongping & Deng, Zilong & Chen, Yongping & Zhang, Chengbin, 2023. "Performance investigation of a biomimetic latent heat thermal energy storage device for waste heat recovery in data centers," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    3. Ioan Sarbu & Calin Sebarchievici, 2018. "A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Energy Storage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-32, January.
    4. Pizzolato, Alberto & Sharma, Ashesh & Maute, Kurt & Sciacovelli, Adriano & Verda, Vittorio, 2017. "Design of effective fins for fast PCM melting and solidification in shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage through topology optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 210-227.
    5. See, Y.S. & Ho, J.Y. & Leong, K.C. & Wong, T.N., 2022. "Experimental investigation of a topology-optimized phase change heat sink optimized for natural convection," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    6. Pizzolato, Alberto & Sharma, Ashesh & Ge, Ruihuan & Maute, Kurt & Verda, Vittorio & Sciacovelli, Adriano, 2020. "Maximization of performance in multi-tube latent heat storage – Optimization of fins topology, effect of materials selection and flow arrangements," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    7. Carnie, Jada-Tiana & Hardalupas, Yannis & Sergis, Antonis, 2024. "Decarbonising building heating and cooling: Designing a novel, inter-seasonal latent heat storage system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Jiahao & Liu, Xiaomin & Desideri, Umberto, 2024. "Performance improvement evaluation of latent heat energy storage units using improved bi-objective topology optimization method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 364(C).
    2. Ait Laasri, Imad & Es-sakali, Niima & Charai, Mouatassim & Mghazli, Mohamed Oualid & Outzourhit, Abdelkader, 2024. "Recent progress, limitations, and future directions of macro-encapsulated phase change materials for building applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    3. Ait Laasri, Imad & Charai, Mouatassim & Mghazli, Mohamed Oualid & Outzourhit, Abdelkader, 2024. "Energy performance assessment of a novel enhanced solar thermal system with topology optimized latent heat thermal energy storage unit for domestic water heating," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    4. Jayathunga, D.S. & Karunathilake, H.P. & Narayana, M. & Witharana, S., 2024. "Phase change material (PCM) candidates for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) in concentrated solar power (CSP) based thermal applications - A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    5. Wang, Jiao & Song, Zilong & Huang, Xinyu & Tang, Shengke & Li, Weipeng & Ma, Mengyao & Zhang, Xiao & Song, Bo, 2025. "Effect of staggered-arranged discontinuous anisotropic fin on thermal energy storage performance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 333(C).
    6. Arsham Mortazavi & Matteo Morciano & Pietro Asinari & Eliodoro Chiavazzo, 2025. "Topology-Optimized Latent Heat Battery: Benchmarking Against a High-Performance Geometry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-17, July.
    7. Bie, Yu & Tang, Yilian & Liu, Weiyi & Hnydiuk-Stefan, Anna & Gupta, M.K. & Królczyk, Jolanta B. & Li, Z., 2024. "Optimization of a finned multi-tube latent heat storage system using new structure evaluation indexes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    8. Khalili, Siavash & Lopez, Gabriel & Breyer, Christian, 2025. "Role and trends of flexibility options in 100% renewable energy system analyses towards the Power-to-X Economy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    9. Hu, Zhipei & Jiang, Shuo & Sun, Zhigao & Li, Jun, 2024. "Numerical simulation of fin arrangements on the melting process of PCM in a rectangular unit," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    10. ELSihy, ELSaeed Saad & Xie, Haozhe & Wang, Tengxiao & Wang, Zuyuan, 2024. "Multi-factor numerical research on the melting dynamics improvement of an innovative gradient finned tube latent heat storage unit," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    11. Luo, Ji-Wang & Yaji, Kentaro & Chen, Li & Tao, Wen-Quan, 2025. "Data-driven multi-fidelity topology design of fin structures for latent heat thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PC).
    12. Zhang, Shengqi & Liu, Guangdi & Zhen, Hualong & Hu, Wanchun & Hong, Yutong & Pu, Liang, 2025. "Experimental study on charging and discharging performance of latent energy storage with topologically optimized fins: Diffusion and convection design," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    13. Nikolay Rogalev & Andrey Rogalev & Vladimir Kindra & Vladimir Naumov & Igor Maksimov, 2022. "Comparative Analysis of Energy Storage Methods for Energy Systems and Complexes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Olabi, A.G. & Wilberforce, Tabbi & Sayed, Enas Taha & Abo-Khalil, Ahmed G. & Maghrabie, Hussein M. & Elsaid, Khaled & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali, 2022. "Battery energy storage systems and SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis of batteries in power transmission," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PA).
    15. Huang, Yongping & Zhang, Chengbin & Chen, Yongping, 2025. "Rapid charging and discharging strategies for latent heat storage," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    16. Luo, Mengxi & Zhang, Yongxue & Nie, Yangbin & Lu, Bohui & Liu, Shuzhen & Luo, Jianxiong, 2026. "Experimental investigation on the thermal performance of a pilot-scale single-tank high-temperature molten salt sensible thermal energy storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    17. Sihvonen, Ville & Ollila, Iisa & Jaanto, Jasmin & Grönman, Aki & Honkapuro, Samuli & Riikonen, Juhani & Price, Alisdair, 2024. "Role of power-to-heat and thermal energy storage in decarbonization of district heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    18. Gao, Qiang & Lu, Yue & Liu, Xiangdong & Chen, Yongping, 2024. "A novel pulse liquid immersion cooling strategy for Lithium-ion battery pack," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    19. Yang, Sheng & Shao, Xue-Feng & Luo, Jia-Hao & Baghaei Oskouei, Seyedmohsen & Bayer, Özgür & Fan, Li-Wu, 2023. "A novel cascade latent heat thermal energy storage system consisting of erythritol and paraffin wax for deep recovery of medium-temperature industrial waste heat," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    20. Jonathan Fahlbeck & Håkan Nilsson & Saeed Salehi, 2021. "Flow Characteristics of Preliminary Shutdown and Startup Sequences for a Model Counter-Rotating Pump-Turbine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:406:y:2026:i:c:s0306261925020525. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.